NiO-TiC composite materials: A study on structural integrity, dielectric behavior, and electrical conductivity

Abstract

In this study, titanium carbide (TiC) nanoparticles were incorporated into nickel oxide (NiO) semiconductors using the sol-gel method to enhance dielectric and electrical properties. Characterization techniques such as FT-IR, XRD, FE-SEM, EDX, and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the structural integrity and successful dispersion of TiC in the NiO matrix. XRD showed distinct peaks for both NiO and TiC, while FE-SEM and EDX confirmed homogeneous TiC distribution. Impedance spectroscopy revealed that the dielectric constants (ε′ and ε″) and AC conductivity (σac) significantly increased with TiC content. For 10 % TiC-doped NiO, ε′ and ε″ reached 49.596 and 256.242, respectively, while σac improved to 1.250 × 10⁻⁷ S/cm. I–V measurements showed enhanced current flow with increased TiC doping. Activation energy decreased from 0.038 eV to 0.023 eV, indicating improved charge transport. These results demonstrate that NiO-TiC nanocomposites are promising for electronic applications such as capacitors and solar cells.